Air purification unit

• US 6,783,578 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2002
• Issued: 08/31/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Isolate, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Isolate, Inc.
• Inventors: Tillman, Bernard William Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hopkins, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US10/321,251
• Publication Number:
  US 20040112221A1
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• Field of Search: 962/24, 553/56, 554/10, 554/67, 554/72, 554/73
• US Class Current: 96/224
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/16 using physical phenomena
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/20 Ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/804 UV light
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2279/65 for the sterilisation of air
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/2411 Filter cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/521 using folded, pleated material
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/88 Replacing filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 1/0071 with means for purifying supplied air perfuming or deodorising means F24F1/008
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/10 by separation, e.g. by filtering
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/108 using dry filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/22 using UV light
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/80 Self-contained air purifiers

Abstract

An air purification apparatus is disclosed that includes a HEPA or ULPA cartridge filter having mounted axially therein an UV lamp extending from a closed end of the cartridge. An air channeling housing is provided for removably mounting the combination filter and lamp assembly for ingress of an air stream through the open end of the combination filter and lamp assembly and for egress of the air stream through the filter medium. A fan can be mounted in the housing either upstream or downstream of the combination filter to provide the means for flowing air through the housing for decontamination by both the filter and UV irradiation provided by the combination filter and lamp assembly. With this arrangement, all contaminants trapped on the filter are within the combination filter and lamp assembly for constant illumination by the UV lamp to destroy bacteria both in the incoming air stream and while resident on the interior of the filter assembly. As disclosed, when the apparatus is installed in an air stream, the air moves into the tubular filter where contaminants are killed by the UV lamp either before or after capture on the interior of the tubular filter before egress through the filter medium.

Claims

1. An air purification apparatus comprising:

a combination filter and UV lamp assembly comprising;

a UV lamp including a bulb, fixture and power connection;

a filter medium mounted between first and second opposing end plates wherein the-first-end plate includes an opening therethrough for ingress of an air stream and the second end plate includes an opening therein sized for receiving the UV lamp bulb and for holding the UV lamp fixture in air sealing engagement with the second end plate; and

means for removably securing the fixture of the UV lamp to the second filter mounting end plate such that the lamp bulb is positioned within and surrounded by the filter medium and the power connection is accessible from outside of the assembly;

an imperforate housing including a first end wall and a second end wall wherein the first end wall has an opening therethrough for ingress of an air stream into the housing and the second end wall has an opening-therethrough for egress of the air stream from the housing; and

means for removably mounting the combination filter and UV lamp assembly within the housing with the air intake opening of the first end plate of the assembly in line with the air stream ingress opening of the first end wall of the housing.

2. The air purification apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a gasket and wherein the housing includes at least one removable sidewall and wherein the means for removably mounting the combination filter and UV lamp assembly includes a bracket and threaded rod or a spring latch assembly for securing one of the opposing end plates of the combination filter and UV lamp assembly in compression against one of the first and second housing end walls with the gasket positioned between the one housing end wall and the one filter end plate.

3. The air purification apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a gasket and wherein the housing includes at least one removable sidewall and wherein the means for removably mounting the combination filter and UV lamp assembly includes a bracket and threaded rod assembly for securing one of the opposing end plates of the combination filter and UV lamp assembly in compression against one of the first and second housing end walls with the gasket positioned between the one housing end wall and the one filter end plate.

4. The air purification apparatus of claim 1 wherein the filter medium is selected from the group consisting of HEPA and ULPA filters.

5. The air purification apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a fan assembly mounted within the housing for moving air through the housing from the first to the second housing end walls.

6. The air purification apparatus of claim 3 wherein the fan assembly is mounted within the housing upstream of the combination filter and UV lamp assembly.

7. The air purification apparatus of claim 3 wherein the fan assembly is mounted within the housing downstream of the combination filter and UV lamp assembly.

8. The air purification apparatus of claim 3 wherein the fan assembly includes a backward inclined fan.

21. The air purification apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a gasket and wherein the housing includes at least one removable sidewall and wherein the means for removably mounting the combination filter and UV lamp assembly includes a bracket and spring latch assembly for securing one of the opposing end plates of the combination filter and UV lamp assembly in compression against one of the first and second housing end walls with the gasket positioned between the one housing end wall and the one filter end plate.

9. An air purification apparatus comprising:

a housing having an air inlet end and an air outlet end;

a fan assembly mounted within the housing adjacent the air outlet end of the housing; and

a combination filter and UV lamp assembly mounted within the housing in air sealing engagement with the air inlet end of the housing, wherein the combination filter and UV lamp assembly is a cylinder comprising a filter medium comprising sidewalls of the cylinder, and first and second end plates comprising end walls of the cylinder, wherein the first cylinder end wall is a plate having an opening therein for ingress of air, and the second cylinder end wall is a plate having means therein for mounting the UV lamp assembly;

wherein the UV lamp assembly includes a UV lamp, a fixture for mounting and supplying power and a power connector; and

wherein the means for mounting the UV lamp assembly to the cylinder includes means for securing the assembly in air sealing engagement with the second end wall with the UV lamp extending into and along the axis of the cylinder with the power connector extending outside of the cylinder.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the filter medium is selected from the group comprising pleated HEPA and ULPA filters.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the fan assembly includes a backward inclined fan.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the housing includes a bottom wall, further comprising casters mounted adjacent the outside corners of the housing bottom wall and a louvered air vent mounted within the housing downstream of both the combination filter and UV lamp assembly and the fan assembly.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the housing includes a top wall and a bottom wall, further comprising casters mounted adjacent the outside corners of the housing bottom wall and a louvered air vent mounted within the housing top wall.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the louvered air vent includes adjustable louvers.

15. An air purification apparatus comprising:

a housing having an air inlet end and an air outlet end;

a fan assembly mounted within the housing adjacent the air inlet end of the housing; and

a combination filter and UV lamp assembly mounted within the housing in air sealing engagement with the air outlet end of the housing, wherein the combination filter and UV lamp assembly is a cylinder comprising a filter medium comprising sidewalls of the cylinder, and first and second end plates comprising end walls of the cylinder, wherein the first cylinder end wall is a plate having an opening therein for ingress of air, and the second cylinder end wall is a plate having means therein for mounting the UV lamp assembly;

wherein the UV lamp assembly includes a UV lamp, a fixture for mounting and supplying power and a power connector;

wherein the means for mounting the UV lamp assembly to the cylinder includes means for securing the assembly in air sealing engagement with the second end wall with the UV lamp extending into and along the axis of the cylinder with the power connector extending outside of the cylinder; and

wherein the UV lamp is configured to transmit UV light directly onto the filter medium.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the filter medium is selected from the group comprising pleated HEPA and ULPA filters.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the fan assembly includes a backward inclined fan.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the housing includes a bottom wall, further comprising casters mounted adjacent the outside corners of the housing bottom wall and a louvered air vent mounted within the housing downstream of both the combination filter and UV lamp assembly and the fan assembly.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the housing includes a top wall and a bottom wall, further comprising casters mounted adjacent the outside corners of the housing bottom wall and a louvered air vent mounted within the housing top wall.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the louvered air vent includes adjustable louvers.

22. An air purification apparatus comprising:

a combination filter and UV lamp assembly consisting essentially of a UV lamp defining an interior of the assembly, and a filter medium exterior to the UV lamp;

wherein the UV lamp is configured to transmit UV light directly onto the filter medium; and

wherein the apparatus is configured for airflow from the interior of the combination filter and UV lamp assembly to the exterior of the combination filter and UV lamp assembly.

23. The air purification apparatus of claim 22, further comprising a housing, the combination filter and UV lamp assembly mounted within the housing.

24. The air purification apparatus of claim 23, further comprising a fan assembly mounted within the housing adjacent the combination filter and UV lamp assembly.